Writers

Class Of 2001 Tells A Tale

Thursday, September 11, 2008 11:41am

By: Accsports Staff

By Dave Glenn and staff
ACCSports.com
November 1, 2004
Coaches always say you can't judge a recruiting class until three or
four years down the road, so we decided to do just that. With hindsight as our
guide, we examined the ACC football recruiting classes of 2001 and posted new
grades ( see chart)
for them, based on the productivity of those players four years into their college
careers.
Transition Didn't Disrupt Miami

CORAL GABLES  It would be a dream for any college football program to put
together a recruiting class that ends up including three first-round NFL draft
picks  with more on the way  and 13 players who now serve as the meat and
potatoes of another national championship contender.

For Miami, of course, star-studded classes are nothing unusual. But the Hurricanes
were able to pull off this amazing accomplishment in 2001 with a hectic, scary,
patchwork recruiting effort brought about by the last-minute departure of coach
Butch Davis to the NFL. Just eight days before national signing day, Davis left
UM for the Cleveland Browns, after six seasons as the head coach in Coral Gables.

So-called "hand-off" classes, in which a program's recruiting cycle is interrupted
by a head coaching change, are usually mediocre and often terrible. (For an
ACC perspective, see the 2001 classes at Maryland, North Carolina and Wake Forest.)
That's mainly because so many unknowns surround a switch at the top. High school
prospects don't like surprises, especially close to signing day. When in doubt,
most will choose the security of a known commodity over even a hint of instability,
uncertainty or unanswered questions.

But the continuity Miami athletic director Paul Dee instilled when he promoted
offensive coordinator Larry Coker to head coach on Feb. 3, 2001, after being
turned down by Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin and Dave Wannstedt of the Miami Dolphins,
provided UM with a much-needed dose of stability. That enabled the Hurricanes
to land top-notch talents such as Sean Taylor, Antrel Rolle and
Kellen Winslow Jr. In retrospect, those players helped give the program
one of the most impressive classes in recent memory.

"When Butch left, all the sharks started to feed," said Coker, whose interim
head coach label came off just four days before signing day. "'They don't have
a coach. When they name somebody, he probably won't make it. If they promote
someone, he won't have success.' We heard all those things about our program.
It was really an ugly deal."

But throughout the process, Miami lost only one commitment and was able to
finish with yet another top-10 class. Based on the events of the past three-plus
seasons, in which the Hurricanes have gone 41-4 and played in two national championship
games (winning one), the Class of 2001 has a chance to go down in history as
UM's best since at least 1997.

Coker, who led the Hurricanes' recruiting efforts from the moment Davis announced
his departure, had an incredibly productive week leading up to signing day.
In addition to saving all but one of UM's commitments under Davis  in-state
receiver Chris Murray signed with N.C. State, and even that ended up being good
news in the long run  the coach added three elite prospects in the final days.
The Hurricanes landed Winslow after the young player and his famous dad settled
on Miami after being split between Washington and Michigan State, and they convinced
tailback Frank Gore and receiver Roscoe Parrish to shun Mississippi
in favor of UM.

"A lot of these guys were still there because they genuinely wanted to go
to Miami. None of these guys came here because of me. They didn't know me. They
came because of the university, the players already here, the coaches that recruited
them were still around," Coker said. "A lot of the comments I got were, 'If
Coach (Art) Kehoe or Coach (Curtis) Johnson is going to be here, I don't care
who the head coach is.'"

Coker's success in recruiting this hand-off class feeds into the perception
that Miami's powerful program runs itself. Even Coker will admit that there's
some truth to that, saying he's just the driver at the wheel.

"At least 10 schools called me right after Coach Davis left, but I had my
mind made up," said cornerback Kelly Jennings, a redshirt junior who
has started 24 games in his career. "Coming here felt right. God really put
it on my heart that this was the place for me to be, no matter who the coach
was."

On Coker's first day as the head coach, he invited all of the South Florida
prospects Miami was recruiting to campus for a sit-down meeting. It was there
that he solidified the commitments of Taylor, who was drafted fifth overall
by the Washington Redskins earlier this year after starring in the secondary
at UM for two seasons, and Rolle, a Parade All-American cornerback who presently
serves as the anchor of the Hurricanes' defense.

Coker also convinced Gore and Parrish to reconsider staying home. The coach
became a fan of Parrish from watching him at the team's summer camp, but Davis
thought the 5-9 receiver was too small to make a big impact on the college level,
so Parrish wasn't offered a scholarship. When Coker took over, Parrish was the
first player he called. What he didn't know was that landing Parrish meant UM
was back in the picture for Gore, a SuperPrep All-American who set Dade County's
record for rushing yards in a season.

Gore initially was turned off by Miami, because he didn't think UM would provide
the academic assistance his learning disability required. Coker eventually convinced
Gore and his family that Miami would be able to meet that challenge, and Parrish
convinced his Pop Warner teammate and best friend to honor a promise they had
made to one another to play together on the college level after splitting up
in high school.

Once Parrish received Miami's offer, the two talked all that afternoon but
couldn't come to an agreement. Eventually, Parrish told Gore he was staying
home and that "you could go up there (to Ole Miss) by yourself." Luckily for
Parrish and the Hurricanes, Gore's friendship pushed him to make a last-minute
switch. Gore and Parrish are UM's leading rusher and receiver this fall, after
overcoming a number of injury setbacks in their first three seasons.

Of the 11 players from Miami's 2001 class who remain starters this fall, some
have made bigger contributions than others. At the highest level, Gore and Parrish
aren't alone.

Linebacker Roger McIntosh started most of the 2002 season as a redshirt
freshman but lost his spot last fall after suffering a knee injury. He's back
as UM's starting strong-side linebacker in 2004, and his great speed enables
him to stay on the field even on obvious passing downs. Entering November, he
was second on the team in tackles and one of Miami's most promising players
on either side of the ball.

McIntosh anchors UM's defense along with Rolle and junior defensive tackle
Orien Harris, two more players who are projected as potential All-Americans
for the Hurricanes. Rolle almost definitely will join early (2004) NFL entries
Taylor, Winslow and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (a January 2001 enrollee)
as a first-round pro pick next spring, and Harris also could reach that elite
status. A three-year starter who passed up the draft last spring, Rolle has
put together an outstanding senior season that has landed him among the nation's
top 10 NFL prospects.

Harris, who has started 17 games over the past two seasons, got off to a slow
start this fall as he struggled with the frequent double-teams Wilfork previously
drew. A redshirt junior, Harris may return to Miami in 2005 in an attempt to
boost his draft status. Wilfork was selected 21st overall, by New England, earlier
this year and already has earned a starting job with the Patriots.

Another defensive lineman from UM's 2001 class, junior college end Andrew
Williams, also is working in the NFL these days. Fairly successful as a
part-time starter for the Hurricanes in 2002, he was selected in the third round
by San Francisco in the 2003 draft. He hasn't been able to play much for the
49ers so far this year, after suffering a broken leg during training camp, but
he's expected back by the end of November.

Quadtrine Hill was Miami's starting fullback for two years, before
voluntarily relinquishing that role to become a reserve tailback. Recently,
injuries to other players forced Hill to return to spot duty at his old position,
but offensively his sacrifice has paid off. He already has contributed more
this season statistically (95 rushing yards on 15 carries, six receptions for
28 yards) than he did all of last year as a fullback.

Offensive linemen Rashad Butler and Tony Tella had slow starts
to their college careers, but both are first-year starters this fall who possess
a great deal of upside. Kevin Everett is UM's starting tight end, but
his road to Miami wasn't direct. Even though he was part of the 2001 signing
class, Everett didn't arrive in Coral Gables until 2003, after attending Kilgore
Junior College. He served as Winslow's backup last season but presently is coming
into his own, developing into another strong NFL prospect.

Thomas Carroll and Marcus Maxey are part-time starters for the
Hurricanes. Carroll has started 15 games over the past two seasons at defensive
end. His play has been steady but unspectacular. Maxey, a converted safety,
seemed as if he was going to be a career special teams player, but a move to
cornerback last spring and a coaching change re-energized his career. He's developed
into UM's nickel back, starting four games this fall.

The jury is still out on Leon Williams, a Parade All-American linebacker
from New York who has yet to live up to his considerable hype. After serving
as Jonathan Vilma's understudy during his first three seasons at UM, Williams
is struggling to fend off redshirt freshmen Jon Beason and Glenn Cook for the
starting middle linebacker spot this fall. A broken hand, suffered in the season
opener against Florida State, hasn't helped Williams' development. He typically
leaves the field in obvious passing situations.

As is the case with any recruiting class, there were a couple of misses for
Miami, even in Coker's amazing first crop as the Hurricanes' head coach.

Mark Gent, the top high school kicker in Florida in 1999, signed with
Miami in 2000 but delayed his enrollment until January 2001 and thus is on the
same eligibility timetable as members of the Class of 2001. Gent was beaten
out for the starting spot at UM by Jon Peattie, a 2002 signee, and it's a possibility
that Gent will finish his college career elsewhere. Similarly, offensive lineman
Robert Bergman has spent the majority of his career on the scout team,
getting consistently passed over on the depth chart by underclassmen.

Buck Ortega, a local prospect who chose UM over Clemson and N.C. State,
never panned out as Miami's next starting quarterback, and he switched positions
after his redshirt season. He bounced around to two other positions before finally
settling on tight end, where he's a third-team player this fall behind Everett
and redshirt freshman Greg Olsen. Ortega sees the majority of his action on
special teams.

Brandon Sebald, a PrepStar All-American from New York, never lived
up to Miami's tight end pedigree. Playing time was the least of his worries
in 2003, when he nearly had his football career ended because of cancerous polyps
that were attacking his body's red-blood cells and sapping his energy. The polyps
were removed late in the fall, enabling him to return to the team and serve
as a reserve behind Winslow and Everett. This season he moved to the offensive
line, where UM's coaches believe he has the potential to be their next successful
tight end-to-tackle convert, following in the now-famous footsteps of Eric Winston.
After injuries to Winston and several others this fall, Sebald moved into a
second-team tackle slot.

Three of UM's 2001 signees  offensive lineman Randy Boxill, defensive
tackle Jeff Littlejohn and defensive back Jovonny Ward  failed
to qualify academically and, unlike Everett, never worked their way back to
the program. Another player, defensive end Miguel Robede, was dismissed
from the team for violating a team rule.

Boxill enrolled at Rutgers in January 2002. After suffering a serious knee
injury that spring, he's had difficulty earning playing time with the Scarlet
Knights, but he remains a reserve lineman for the team this fall. Littlejohn
enrolled at Middle Tennessee State as a non-qualifier. After sitting out 2001
under NCAA rules and playing as a reserve in 2002, he's in his second season
as a starter with the Blue Raiders.

Ward was denied admission to Miami, reportedly because he failed to pass the
state-mandated exit exam for all would-be high school graduates in Florida,
so he enrolled at Pittsburgh as a non-qualifier. He left the Panthers that fall,
without ever playing a down for the team, and wound up at Florida Atlantic in
2002. Although many still believed Ward had a promising career ahead of him,
he reportedly became a problem in the locker room at FAU, bringing about his
quiet dismissal three weeks into fall practice.

Robede, the top-ranked recruit in Canada in 2001, wound up playing for the
Universite Laval Rouge et Or, which is one of the best teams in the Quebec Student
Sports Federation (university-level competition) in Canada. He became a two-time
All-Canadian tackle at Laval Rouge.

Even with the non-qualifiers and the misses, this signing class likely will
go down as one of the best in Miami history because of the impact it has had
on the program. The group already has been a part of UM's 2001 national championship,
and the goal for the remaining signees is to get a national title of their own.

Coker knows the potential is there.

"That class was the most amazing part of this whole story," Coker said. "They
have a great deal to do with my success."

Tommy Bowden heeded those words by signing a 2001 class that, to this day,
remains his highest-rated group of recruits. At the time, national analysts
rated Clemson from ninth to 14th in the country and second or third in the ACC.

It was the core of this class that, as juniors and redshirt sophomores in
2003, helped Tommy finally defeat his father. Yet in a telling example of the
unpredictability of recruiting 18-year-olds, Clemson enjoyed a 9-4 season last
year with minimal contributions from the highest-profile names of 2001.

Almost four years after putting the 2001 class together, Bowden marveled at
producing 13 starters out of 24 enrollees. But he also lamented some who got
away, including five recruits who ended up as non-qualifiers academically.

The 2001 class was mostly about skill players  i.e., players who could catch
the football. When the recruiting cycle began, Bowden had gone 6-6 in his first
season and displayed a pass-happy, no-huddle offense never seen before at Clemson,
where four-yard runs used to represent a thing of beauty.

As the 2000-01 recruiting cycle intensified, Bowden's offense with quarterback
Woodrow Dantzler and wideout Rod Gardner took off, and so did Clemson. The Tigers
started 8-0 in 2000, climbing to No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, and finished
9-3 and 6-2 in the ACC for a second-place finish.

In the aftermath of that on-field success, Bowden signed a quartet of talented
wide receivers: Crosby, Zimmerman, Airese Currie and Derrick Higgins.
SuperPrep analyst Allen Wallace vaulted the Tigers into his top 10 after they
landed Crosby on signing day, calling Clemson's receivers the top group in the
country. It was the program's first top-10 class since 1989, when Danny Ford
signed his last group.

"People in the ACC ought to really be nervous," South Carolina coach Lou Holtz
said on signing day in 2001, "and that includes Florida State."

Crosby, a USA Today All-American and second-round baseball draft pick, played
one season at Clemson in an off-and-on career. He caught 27 passes for 465 yards
and four touchdowns as a freshman while fighting injuries. An elbow injury forced
Crosby to redshirt in 2002, and he never could decide between a football or
baseball career. In a surprise move, he returned to Clemson briefly in 2003,
but he quit again early in the season while fighting emotional problems.

Crosby never took a regular-season at-bat with the Kansas City Royals, his
baseball organization. The last report was that Crosby and the Royals were in
a legal fight over whether the club owed him the remainder of his $1.75 million
signing bonus.

Zimmerman, another prep All-American according to some analysts, did not qualify
at Clemson on two occasions, first out of high school and then again after a
year at Fork Union Military Academy. The inability to enroll Zimmerman frustrated
Bowden, who often spoke about how quickly the receiver could have played for
the Tigers.

"Roscoe, we knew, so that didn't surprise me. He's 50-50 coming in," Bowden
said. "Tymere, we would have loved to have. We thought Tymere would get in.
Tymere might play in the NFL."

Zimmerman attended South Carolina State in 2002, without a scholarship and
unable to participate in spring football. He enrolled at Division II Newberry
in January 2003 and now is a two-sport star in football and basketball who could
finish his career with a slew of school records. A wing forward on the hardcourt,
Zimmerman started 20 games in 2002-03, averaging 6.7 points and 6.2 rebounds
for a 16-13 team. He had 771 receiving yards on the gridiron in 2003, the third-highest
total in Newberry history, and eight touchdowns. Through eight games this season,
he led the team with 54 catches for 750 yards and six TDs. Listed as a redshirt
sophomore, Zimmerman is eligible to apply for entry into the 2005 NFL draft.

Higgins, another non-qualifier at wide receiver, also is at Newberry. He skipped
around several different (Georgia Military, Claflin, Dodge City) junior colleges
but left each of those schools  in one case, after just a few days  without
playing a down of football. He signed in 2003 with Newberry, where he earned
All-South honors as a freshman last fall, but he is not playing for the Indians
this season.

Currie, a consensus prep All-American, emerged as Clemson's most productive
recruit at wide receiver. He has fought injuries over his four seasons. Gradually,
Currie became more than just a deep threat. (He had 70-yard catches in each
of his first three years.) Entering the Tigers' game against N.C. State on Oct.
30, Currie led the ACC with 40 catches for 541 yards. He has become Whitehurst's
favorite and most reliable target, with his sprinter's speed and improved hands.
One drawback: problems finding the end zone. Currie had only one touchdown this
season through seven games.

While Currie was on everyone's radar in high school, Whitehurst came out of
nowhere. The interest in him was moderate compared with top Southeastern quarterback
recruits such as D.J. Shockley, Ingle Martin and Adrian McPherson. A Georgia
native, Whitehurst said he later heard that then-Georgia Tech offensive coordinator
Ralph Friedgen thought he was too emotional while camping there. It also didn't
help that Whitehurst missed six games as a high school senior with a separated
shoulder and a broken thumb.

North Carolina became Whitehurst's favorite until coach Carl Torbush was fired,
along with his offensive coordinator, Mike O'Cain. A former Clemson player,
O'Cain then joined the Tigers as quarterbacks coach. He wanted prospects with
a drop-back style, in stark contrast to former coordinator Rich Rodriguez's
preference for running quarterbacks.

On the weekend Whitehurst visited Clemson, new UNC coach John Bunting hired
Gary Tranquill as his offensive coordinator. The Tar Heels had promised Whitehurst
that their new coordinator would fly to Georgia and meet with him upon his hiring.
But Tranquill couldn't make the flight for a few days because of food poisoning,
according to Whitehurst.

Perhaps with the help of some bad food, Clemson then landed a commitment from
Whitehurst, who was rated the 35th-best quarterback in the country by Rivals.com.
The rest is history, as Whitehurst has set 35 school records despite his struggles
this season. Through seven games, he had 13 interceptions and only six touchdown
passes.

Hill was another relative unknown from Georgia who has emerged as a star for
the Tigers. He's done it while wearing jersey No. 43, a special number at Clemson.
Defensive coordinator John Lovett initially considered Hill too small for middle
linebacker and tried him at whip linebacker, a hybrid safety/linebacker position.

Hill returned to middle linebacker in 2003 and made first-team All-ACC with
145 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and eight sacks. The tackles for loss total
ranked second in the nation. Now in his second year starting, Hill ranked in
the top three in the ACC through seven games this season with 65 tackles (second),
seven sacks (first) and 11.5 tackles for loss (third).

Clemson's offensive line took a setback because of the 2001 class, which didn't
draw any raves on signing day for either the number (just two) or the quality
of its blockers. Chip Myrick has become a second-team guard for the Tigers,
while Grant Oliver transferred to Appalachian State.

Oliver left Clemson's camp in August 2001 after the first day, because at
the time he was uncertain if college football was for him. He's now a redshirt
junior in his third year as a starter for Division I-AA Appalachian State at
offensive tackle. That's the same position where Clemson has used a true freshman,
a true sophomore and a former walk-on as its starters this season.

Coleman was recruited as a tight end/offensive tackle prospect, but he moved
to defensive tackle shortly after arriving at Clemson.

"He ran too well," Bowden said. "We had (Todd) McClinton projected as tight
end/tackle, too. With a priority being on defense, I said I'll take my hit.
I'll scheme on offense, sprint-out, trap, draw. I just won't make it a power
offense. I'll finesse it until I get the big guys."

Several other players came and went from Clemson's 2001 class, including four
defensive linemen who either never arrived or did not finish their eligibility
with the Tigers.

There was running back Michaux Hollingsworth, a little-known North
Carolina product who was denied admission by Clemson, reportedly because of
a suspiciously large test-score jump. This fall he is in his fourth year at
Division
I-AA North Carolina A&T, where he rushed for 302 yards on 77 carries through
eight games.

Defensive end Mark Jetton, another signee from North Carolina, also
ended up back in his home state. After transferring to Division I-AA Elon in
2003, he started all 12 games last season and made 50 tackles. Jetton, who also
tried tight end at Clemson, had 25 tackles (including six for loss) and three
sacks for Elon through seven games this season.

Reed, a promising in-state defensive tackle, did not qualify and spent 2001
at Georgia Military College. He had 14 tackles in eight games for
NAIA power Pikeville in 2002 before transferring to Newberry, where he made
26 tackles in nine games last season.

"Daggum," Bowden said upon seeing Reed's name. "Wish he would have gotten
in."

Another defensive lineman, Wendell Singletary of North Carolina, also
failed to qualify. He was placed at Southwest Mississippi Junior College and
planned to re-sign with Clemson in 2003, but he ended up at Division I-AA Western
Carolina. Singletary is a first-year starter there at offensive tackle this
fall, as a redshirt junior.

Defensive end Rod Whipple of Georgia, who struggled to keep weight
on his thin body, left Clemson before the 2003 season. He transferred closer
to home to Division II power Albany State, where he played in only two of the
team's first seven games this season.

Two players got away from Clemson's 2001 class before ever signing: defensive
tackle Jeff Littlejohn and linebacker Roger McIntosh of Gaffney High. The prep
teammates both gave commitments to Clemson, but the Tigers ultimately had to
back off because of NCAA violations that occurred during their recruitment.
Littlejohn and McIntosh are full-time starters this fall at Middle Tennessee
State and Miami, respectively.

The face of Clemson's 2001 class may belong to Hall, who symbolizes the expectations
game placed on 18-year-olds before they ever take a snap in college. USA Today
and Max Emfinger rated Hall the No. 1 tight end prospect in the country.

Hall caught only 23 passes for 291 yards in his first three seasons with the
Tigers. Frustrated by the lack of throws his way and dealing with some personal
problems at home, Hall quit the team in the winter of 2003 before returning
that summer. He barely played last season but continued to work hard. This year,
Bowden has praised the commitment of Hall (seven catches, 127 yards, one TD),
who seems like a different person without a chip on his shoulder.

"It feels good to know somebody has that much confidence in me," Hall said
of his high school rankings. "But it puts a lot of pressure on you. You've got
all these eyes on you, and then you drop a ball and it's like, 'He's number
one?' You've got a lot of expectations that you didn't really ask for. You just
want to play ball."

 Jon Solomon, Columbia (S.C.) State

Class Left "Hole" At Maryland

COLLEGE PARK  Recruiting almost always suffers when there is a head coaching
change, and that certainly was the case at Maryland after Ron Vanderlinden was
fired in December 2000 and replaced by Ralph Friedgen.

Maryland's 2001 signing class was subpar as a result, and the Terrapins are
still paying for it on the field this fall. Most recruiting analysts placed
the class sixth or seventh in the ACC and in the 40-50 range nationally at the
time, and this fall those rankings appear generous. As the Terps struggled to
a 3-5 start, only one 2001 signee excelled as a starter.

On signing day, Friedgen praised recruiting coordinator Mike Locksley for
retaining the players who had committed to Maryland prior to Vanderlinden's
dismissal. Friedgen also crowed about the pickups the program was able to make
after he came aboard.

"I feel very good about this class. It's one I think has great size, excellent
speed and tremendous athleticism," Friedgen said. "I think we've done very well,
especially in a transition year. Considering we were competing against some
very tough schools you're not going to get every kid you want, but we're very
happy with the ones we got."

Maryland announced an 18-member class on signing day that was loaded with
in-state talent. A whopping 13 of the signees were from the Maryland-D.C. region,
a byproduct of Vanderlinden's recruiting philosophy that brought a smile to
Friedgen's face.

"The thing I am most pleased about is that the majority are local kids," the
coach said. "Maryland kids going to Maryland. That's music to my ears."

Almost four years later, Friedgen cited the Class of 2001 as a primary reason
for the team's struggles in 2004. He complained during spring practice about
the attrition rate and once faulted Vanderlinden for taking so many "academic
questionables" that year. During an April press conference, Friedgen said: "We
had 13-14 players committed when I came in here. Many of those recruits that
I inherited aren't around anymore. That class, from an attrition standpoint,
is big. We've got a hole in our program."

Friedgen's comments were a bit misleading on a couple of fronts. First, Maryland
had 12 high school seniors committed before Vanderlinden was fired. Second,
only three of those 12 are no longer in the program: offensive linemen Jason
Holman, Raheem Lewis and Akil Patterson.

Holman, who was second on the depth chart at center as a redshirt freshman,
failed out of school and was unable to re-gain admittance despite spending some
time at nearby Prince George's Community College. The 6-2, 267-pounder, a Vanderlinden
find from Midlothian, Va., had earned praise from Friedgen for his potential.
Lewis, a roly-poly 335-pounder who never could get himself into proper shape,
failed out after just one season. He later was murdered, in an apparently random
drive-by shooting.

Patterson often annoyed the coaching staff with his boisterous behavior during
his first two years on campus. He became infamous for running his mouth in practice
and talking back to coaches. Patterson, who once told Friedgen his ambition
was to become the governor of Maryland, was switched from defense to offensive
tackle in 2002 and came on strong enough to start the season opener at guard
against Northern Illinois last season. But the 6-3, 290-pounder was suspended
midway through the 2003 campaign for a violation of team rules. A two-time state
champion heavyweight wrestler in high school, Patterson felt the suspension
was unwarranted and quit the team in anger. He is now a starting offensive lineman
for Division II California in Pennsylvania.

Vanderlinden also received a commitment from one player who never signed a
national letter of intent and never enrolled at Maryland. In-state receiver
Mike Evans was removed from the class prior to signing day, because the staff
knew he would not qualify.

Marcus Wimbush, a safety out of Dunbar High in D.C., was announced
as a member of the 2001 class but also failed to meet NCAA standards for freshman
eligibility. He sat out while working toward a qualifying SAT score, then re-signed
with Maryland in 2002. He is currently a third-team safety.

Much of the attrition has involved recruits who came aboard after Friedgen
was hired on Nov. 29, 2000. By far the biggest mistakes were running back Jason
Crawford, offensive lineman Tim Donovan and defensive end Will
Ferguson.

Crawford's bizarre recruitment has been chronicled many times. A product of
nearby Parkdale High, he initially committed to Maryland in December 1999. The
SuperPrep All-American then stunned Vanderlinden on signing day in 2000 by instead
sending his national letter of intent to North Carolina. That became a moot
point when Crawford came up 30 points shy on the SAT.

While still publicly committed to UNC during a year at Fork Union Military
Academy, Crawford secretly contacted Maryland and asked to be recruited again.
Shortly after Friedgen was hired, Locksley showed him tapes of Crawford, who
rushed for 2,801 yards and 21 touchdowns during his final two seasons of high
school.

"My first reaction as I watched the tape of Jason was to turn to Coach Locksley
and say, 'So you're telling me we have a chance to get this kid? What are we
waiting for?'" said Friedgen, who had been told that Crawford was a potentially
risky recruit.

Crawford's character issues showed through time and time again during his
turbulent two-year stay in College Park. The 6-2, 220-pounder virtually was
handed a starting spot as a sophomore, after Bruce Perry went down with an injury.
Crawford failed to impress, rushing for 16 yards against Notre Dame and 27 versus
Akron. For all intents and purposes, Crawford's career at Maryland ended the
day he complained to beat reporters about not getting enough carries. By the
following spring he was out of the program, thanks to a combination of bad attitude
and bad grades.

Neither Vanderlinden nor Locksley liked Donovan as a prospect, so they never
recruited him. However, Friedgen decided to offer the offensive tackle from
in-state power DeMatha Catholic after reviewing some tape and receiving a strong
recommendation from DeMatha assistant Buck Offutt, a long-time friend of Friedgen.

Donovan, who simply was not a Division I-A caliber lineman in terms of athleticism,
was the first high school recruit to commit to Friedgen. He left the program
after one year to help care for his dying father and eventually had his scholarship
revoked.

Ferguson was the last player offered by Maryland in 2001, a little-known prospect
who was added to the class less than a week before signing day. A middle linebacker
at Walt Whitman High in Bethesda, Md., the 6-3, 255-pounder had been considering
Division I-AA Towson and Fordham before the Terps came calling.

Friedgen became interested in Ferguson after receiving a highlight tape from
the player's mother. He envisioned Ferguson growing into a defensive lineman
and ignored Locksley's recommendation to take the youngster as a preferred walk-on.

"We got a tape on Will and liked the way he ran and hit," said Friedgen, who
called Ferguson a "sleeper" and a "late bloomer" on signing day.

Ferguson lasted about two weeks into August camp before being told that he
would never make it as a football player at Maryland. He quickly transferred
to Division I-AA Towson, where he played for a few seasons.

Friedgen also gave his approval to sign junior college cornerback Jamal
Chance, who spent two seasons as a second-teamer before exhausting his eligibility
in 2003.

Friedgen does deserve credit for the two finest members of the Class of 2001:
cornerback Domonique Foxworth and defensive tackle Randy Starks.

An impressive in-home visit by Friedgen got Maryland back in the game with
Foxworth, who had pretty much settled on attending Purdue. Foxworth's parents
were particularly taken with what the Fridge had to say, and the highly rated
cornerback committed in December, then enrolled in January.

Maryland may have made a mistake by burning Foxworth's redshirt season with
just two games remaining in 2001. However, there is no arguing with the whole
of the player's career. He was first-team All-ACC as a sophomore and second-team
as a junior, and he figures to make one of the teams as a senior despite a somewhat
disappointing campaign.

Friedgen also did his part to help land Starks, a prep All-American who picked
Maryland over Penn State exactly one month before signing day. He was by far
the program's most important pickup that year, the dominant defensive tackle
the program desperately needed at the time.

As expected, Starks became an immediate-impact player for the Terps. He appeared
in every game as a true freshman, then made 27 straight starts as a sophomore
and junior. He declared early for the NFL and was drafted by Tennessee after
earning All-ACC and All-American honors in 2003. He's a second-team player for
the Titans this fall.

Maryland actually stumbled onto one of the more productive members of its
Class of 2001. Wide receiver Derrick Fenner of Hampton (Va.) High was
still unsigned late that summer, when the Terrapins got a look at his highlight
tape and liked what they saw in terms of speed and athleticism. A redshirt junior,
Fenner started the initial seven games of this season and led the team with
20 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He was the Terps' primary deep
threat in 2003, with 12 catches for 334 yards.

Tight end Derek Miller and cornerback Gerrick McPhearson were
mid-level recruits who have become starters as redshirt juniors, although neither
has been a standout this fall.

Another interesting case involves slotback Rich Parson, who originally
committed to Maryland in 1999, then spent two years in prep school. The Newark
(Del.) High product did not qualify because of a low SAT score, so he attended
Milford (Conn.) Academy. He didn't earn a qualifying score until the fall of
2000, while attending Newark (Del.) Academy. Parson has been a solid four-year
performer, playing in 43 games and totaling 56 receptions for 853 yards.

Vanderlinden made his living off sleepers and came up with some truly great
ones during his four-year tenure in College Park, turning unheralded recruits
such as Steve Suter, Charles Hill and Melvin Fowler into All-ACC performers.
However, Vanderlinden swung and missed a lot in 2001.

Linebacker-turned-fullback Maurice Smith, fullback-turned-defensive
end Ricardo Dickerson, offensive guard Matt Powell and offensive
tackle Russell Bonham all were lightly regarded signees who have made
minimal impacts so far and remain backups after almost four full years in the
program. Tailback Mario Merrills, the 2001 Gatorade player of the year
in Maryland and a SuperPrep All-American, could end up challenging Crawford
and possibly Wimbush for the title of the biggest bust in the Terps' Class of
2001.

UNC: Many Misses On Defense

CHAPEL HILL  A third straight losing season remained a possibility for North
Carolina entering November, thanks in large part to the shortcomings of a 2001
recruiting class whose roots stretch back to a tumultuous 1999-2000 stretch
for the Tar Heels and a delayed coaching change.

John Bunting was hired by UNC on Dec. 11, 2000, returning to his alma mater
from the NFL's New Orleans Saints and a lengthy pro stay. He replaced Carl Torbush,
fired for the second time in Chapel Hill. Torbush had gained a reprieve from
athletic director Dick Baddour in 1999, apparently because of a two-victory
finish in an injury-filled
3-8 campaign.

The Torbush regime did most of UNC's recruiting with the Class of 2001, and
Bunting's staff  with three retained assistants, and almost two full months
until signing day  did the rest. UNC signed 22 prep players, plus two major-college
transfers. Recruiting analysts generally ranked the class among the bottom three
in the ACC at the time, and in retrospect that seems right on target. Its help
has been limited for almost four years.

The transfers, Bobby Blizzard and Dan Orner, both became solid
contributors but are out of the program after exhausting their eligibility in
2003. Eight players left the team prematurely for various reasons. Receiver
Derrele Mitchell did not qualify in 2001 but did meet standards after
a year in prep school. Only 13 of the Tar Heels' 2001 high school signees remain
on the active roster, and only five of them are full-time starters.

UNC won only five games in the previous two seasons combined, and just four
of its first eight contests this season. Bunting's recruiting improved slightly
in 2002 and dramatically in 2003 and 2004, but the coach's weak senior class
is hampering this year's team, especially on defense.

"There's not a great deal of seniors on this team, but there's enough," Bunting
said. "And they care so much about playing well and performing and getting better.
They are doing a terrific job. I couldn't ask any more from that group of my
players."

Senior center Jason Brown, who recently started his 32nd consecutive
game for the Tar Heels, has been the cornerstone of the offensive line for three
seasons. One of UNC's strongest and most intelligent players, Brown showed his
courage last year when he played at N.C. State, less than a week after his older
brother Lunsford was killed in Iraq while serving in the military. Jason, who
holds numerous Carolina weight-lifting records, is an All-ACC candidate this
fall and could have an NFL future.

Jarwarski Pollock was a curiosity when UNC signed him. He is only 5-8,
and many recruiting analysts believed the Tar Heels took him mainly for leverage
in their attempt to land his more heralded high school teammate in Bradenton,
Fla., quarterback Adrian McPherson. UNC actually lucked out by not signing McPherson,
who was kicked off the Florida State team in 2002 after tainting the program
with his theft, forgery and gambling charges.

Pollock, meanwhile, has developed into a very dependable receiver. A partial
qualifier under the NCAA academic standards in place at the time, he had to
sit out his first season in Chapel Hill but caught 102 passes over the next
two years. His 71 receptions as a junior set a school record. UNC's leading
receiver after seven games in 2004, with 28 catches for 280 yards, Pollock could
break the school record for receptions in a career (165) by the end of this
season. He recently learned that he's eligible to return in 2005.

"He's a remarkable young man," Bunting said. "He's got a tremendous attitude.
He's got a big smile on his face every day. He comes to work every day on the
practice field and works hard. He's a little bit of a magician and acrobat out
there sometimes. He's a little guy that plays big."

Senior tailback Jacque Lewis, a prep All-American who turned down Miami,
is UNC's best all-around back in Bunting's opinion. Lewis rushed for 161 yards,
his career high, in a 34-13 win over Georgia Tech this fall. He never became
the dominant runner many thought he could be after a stellar high school career,
in part because of nagging injuries. Lewis has started off and on at UNC but
is the backup this fall behind sophomore Ronnie McGill.

Chase Page was Carolina's best and most experienced defensive lineman
and one of the team's most respected leaders coming into 2004. But he suffered
a freak hand injury during practice in August, and surgery to repair torn tendons
in his left hand ended his season. Because he hadn't redshirted prior to this
fall, he can return for a fifth year in 2005. He began his UNC career as an
offensive lineman and played guard as a freshman before moving to defensive
tackle in the spring of 2002.

Tommy Davis, a part-time 2003 starter at defensive end who earned a
full-time job this season, isn't as big (6-2, 256) as most at his position but
is one of the line's strongest players. Jeff Longhany has alternated
starting at one linebacker position. Through seven games this fall, Davis had
24 tackles and Longhany 16, but neither player has become a consistent producer
for one of the most porous defenses in the nation.

Blizzard and Orner were among UNC's best players for two seasons. Blizzard
fought through illness to play last fall and finished his Carolina career with
48 catches and six touchdowns, after playing his first two seasons at Kentucky.
Orner left Michigan State and became UNC's kicker. He made 21 field goals and
enjoyed his most success in 2002, when he kicked a 47-yard field goal as time
expired to beat Duke in the season finale. Orner also booted three field goals
of at least 50 yards in a win at Syracuse that season to tie an NCAA record,
including a kick that covered a school-record 55 yards.

Quarterback Matt Baker, UNC's backup to Darian Durant this fall, played
decently in three relief appearances in the first seven games of 2004. He will
be the logical replacement for Durant next season but has never started a game
for the Tar Heels. Steven Bell is a reserve offensive lineman who holds
the backup jobs at center and right guard.

Brian Chacos followed in his father's footsteps to UNC. He was recruited
as a tight end but switched to offensive tackle in 2002. He is the starting
left tackle this fall, after sharing playing time with Skip Seagraves (now injured)
last season.

Other players never developed in the way the coaching staff thought possible.

Senior Jocques Dumas was one of the top-ranked recruits in the 2001
class, after earning consensus All-America honors as a high school senior. He
had a body that reminded some of star UNC defensive end Julius Peppers. Poor
foot movement has hampered Dumas, however. He played defensive end for his first
two seasons and split time between end and tackle last year. He moved to tight
end for 2004 and is used mostly as a blocker.

Linebacker Doug Justice also has struggled at UNC, despite being one
of the smartest and most instinctive players on the team. He was considered
a valuable late addition after committing to Michigan but has played mostly
as a reserve. A lasting image of Justice for many Carolina fans will be the
play on which he was caught from behind by an N.C. State offensive lineman in
2002 while trying to score after a turnover.

Safety Ronnie Bryant has fallen deep down the depth chart after playing
in 11 games in 2003, mostly on special teams. Receiver Chris Curry, one
of the first players to commit to Carolina after Bunting became the coach, gave
up football this year but remains in school at UNC. Offensive lineman Arthur
Smith, whose father is Federal Express founder Fred Smith, redshirted in
2001 and has been slowed by injuries over the last two seasons. He's often listed
as a second-team guard on the depth chart, but he rarely plays.

Drew Hunter, a big offensive lineman, played mostly as a reserve before
his career ended this year because of injury. Antavis Barrino, a once-promising
in-state defensive lineman, contracted mononucleosis, left summer practice in
2001 to return home to recover, and never returned. John Lowery, the player's
high school coach, said Barrino never played football again and is working in
his hometown of Marshville.

Ike Emodi, a defensive end, was a project who came up short academically
and subsequently enrolled at East Carolina as a non-qualifier. He lettered there
in 2002 and 2003 but was academically ineligible for 2004 and is no longer in
the program. He entered the NFL's supplemental draft in the spring but was not
selected. Cornerback Chris Hawkins was kicked off the UNC team for a
rules violation and enrolled earlier this year at Marshall, where he is sitting
out 2004 under NCAA transfer rules.

Terrance Highsmith, a late addition to the class as a quarterback,
did not last long in Chapel Hill. He left after one season and quickly surfaced
at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, where he played quarterback. He is
now a backup receiver at Iowa State, with five catches for 31 yards in the Cyclones'
first seven games this fall. Harry Lewis, another late addition valued
for his athletic ability, never lettered at UNC. He transferred to home-state
Louisville but never played for the Cardinals, either. Now a receiver for the
Lexington (Ky.) Horsemen in the professional National Indoor Football League,
Lewis had 602 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns last season.

Danny Rumley was a tall receiver from Alabama whom Bunting said reminded
him of Randy Moss, an All-Pro receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. Rumley played
sparingly at UNC and transferred to Division I-AA Murray State, where he is
a starting receiver this fall. Rumley, who goes by Daniel now, caught 23 passes
in his team's first eight games for 360 yards, both team highs, and two touchdowns.

"I think there's obviously a couple of things that could have been done better
at that point in time," Bunting said. "But I'll say this: The most important
recruiting year was the following year. Coming off the 8-5 season, beating Florida
State and beating some other great ACC teams and winning the Peach Bowl, that
was a critical year. We didn't do a good enough job recruiting (with the Class
of 2002) and based on that, that's when we really overhauled this entire system
of recruiting. And since that time, we've been doing a pretty good job."